coffee Shop.: Butler, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Coffee, it’s about coffee, right? Right. But that’s not all, it can’t be all because of how one can feel about coffee.

Coffee is about coffee. However, it is also about the experience of coffee. Oftentimes, that experience happens before the cup can even reach us. Perhaps, that is why – if you follow me on snap and saw my snap story – that I walked into Butler – the new Williamsburg espresso bar and pastry shop.

It was my first time there, invited by a friend. I didn’t do any research prior to going because I trusted him. Word-of-mouth is still one of the best kinds of news spread especially when it comes from people who like to explore and adventure like me.

As soon as I walked, err, danced in, I realized that if I felt this good about its environment: hued lights glowing like Paris, cushioned burgundy brown booths sectioning future sit downs with visions of comfort and a glass bar, Windex clean enticing me to want all the treats could anything go wrong.

Nope! Not even the fact that by 3 p.m. which is when we arrived they ran out of gluten free treats. A gent – jolly and accommodating – who I later learned was Ryan Butler of Butler offered to make me something he was experimenting with. Um? Say what? Was I game?

I was so in! He soon deliverered a gooey ball with coconut and oats and honey and all kinds of healthy.

the goeey ball

I should have shared but I offered my coffee date and we’ll, he just took too long to dig in enjoying some other cake confection that was occupying his attention.

Meanwhile, Ryan suggested I take my phone into the bathroom versus leaving it as I was about to do. I am glad I took the suggestion.

Is this not all kinds of design beautiful? I am so happy that bathrooms aren’t an afterthought when it comes to designing them. There’s a great photograph – from the 1920’s with its namesake on one of the shirts of the baseball team in the photo. If you treasure old things and history and vintage like I do, seeing this touch is not to be missed.

We stayed until it closed, that was until 5. We talked coffee, Intelligentsia is served here. We talked cameras and heavy terse shooting specs like photographers do. And, we talked about the value of being real, authentic and cultivating an audience because you have something to say – that’s the kind of ‘social’ media I am drawn to, especially if it means watching a sun go down over a bridge in Williamsburg while I sip the last of the foam in my cup.